Zarasper Ormit Nyritarr
Zarasper Ormit Nyritarr is an oily, greedy mage who (in the days before Thay openly established enclaves) was sent to troubled Tethyr to establish trade in minor magic with the wealthiest rising merchants. He did so by setting up a local secret society, "The Night Flame," that would give Nyritarr and other Thayan mages great behind-the-scenes influence over the Tethyrians. The Night Flame may well still be operating in the coastal cities of Tethyr. Like all Thayans having wits enough to work magic, Zarasper Nyritarr sought to build himself "boltholes" to flee to in case "things went wrong." The best boltholes aren't merely hideaways, but rather sideline careers and residences in distant places that a wizard in trouble can flee into and start over. Nyritarr wanted to flee to a place of wealth, excitement, and great personal freedom -- so a high position in Silverymoon seemed ideal. To foreguard that position, he wanted to exert subtle control over Alustriel and her fledgling realm (rather than going to great expense and trouble to subvert Silvaeren courtiers who might turn on him). So he decided to create a lover for Alustriel by mindblasting Morngard Larlake's handsome body to drooling idiocy and then magically forcing into it a mind he could control. For years "Zarasper the Ghoul" had been experimenting with spells that forced souls into other bodies and established some measure of control over them. His successes had been few and his failures many, resulting in scores of unique undead he could repel from himself and force to go to certain places or attack particular persons or objects, but had no greater control over. This experiment, he vowed, would be a success. From traveling minstrels Nyritarr learned one of Alustriel's many, many lovers had recently died crying out her name as orc blades cut him down. The Red Wizard magically sought, found, and conversed with that soul (the wizard Baerlon Amrathtar), learning that Baerlon's essence fiercely desired to be reunited with "the cool, bright flame of deepest love." Eagerly Nyritarr bound the soul with compulsion spells and thrust it into Larlake's body. He tested the new Larlake's loyalty only briefly before sending his secret weapon on the long overland journey to Silverymoon. The Thayan soon discovered that although he can still in some measure influence Larlake's mind, his creation is very close to independence -- and is possibly even actively thwarting Nyritarr. Alustriel's latest consort seems able to defy direct spells even when Zarasper teleports himself to where he can touch Larlake, leaving the Red Wizard baffled. Larlake's able to resist: Zarasper's spells are faulty, and they both fascinate and infuriate Mystra, who not only preceived them through Alustriel (and saw the truth about Larlake, where her Chosen did not, or rather, preferred not to delve too deeply and so have some chance of retaining the love of this man rather than crushing him), but worked through Alustriel's silver fire, when the two of them were physically intimate, to alter Zarasper's spells enough to shatter his control forever. She (the former Midnight) finds something abhorrent in using magic to covertly try to control other wielders of magic. Influence, yes, threaten or openly bargain with, fine, but controlling beings without even allowing them to be aware of the control is something she's discovered she DEFINITELY dislikes. Strongly. Zarasper was at first baffled (how could Alustriel be protecting Larlake without being aware of Zarasper himself?), and then intrigued: is his failure due to Larlake's mere contact with Alustriel, or stronger bindings she's laying upon him, or is it something more? And the inner, chilling question has arisen: Just how much attention does Mystra pay to her Chosen? Is Mystra actively and directly aware of the schemes and spells of Zarasper Nyritarr? Zarasper is now trying to decide what to do. Which way he jumps is up to every DM to decide. In this Realmslore column, I merely present the tools and leave their uses and effectiveness to individual DMs. Zarasper Nyritarr is an veteran Red Wizard and experienced 'lone manipulator,' unlikely to do anything rash... but for the first time in decades, personally afraid of Mystra. Decades ago, a colleague described him aptly as "that leathery, wily old lizard," and he's grown in patience and mastery of magic since then. Category:Humans Category:Members of the Red Wizards of Thay Category:Inhabitants of Thay Category:Wizards